Purchased TT (undisclosed salvage title came in the mail)

[gunninks]

So we purchased a travel trailer (2005 Wildwood LE 25EX) from a dealer that does repairs and has been around many many years. They told me they bought it from an insurance company. It wasn't an overly great deal in my opinion (6k) but is solid all the way around and is exactly what we were looking for to fit our family and current towing vehicle. The TT is in very good shape but it's obvious that it has been repaired in the front where the fold down bunk is. It seems very solid, I checked all the inside corners and the floorboard under the bunks. everything works as it should and there are no leaks. We almost got burned on another deal, the last minute we found extensive damage on the floorboards under the rear bunks and walked away immediately. In other words, we are very happy with it. I am sure we will use it for years before we decide to upgrade.

The problem and my worry is that when the title came in the mail, it was orange and states 'flood' under the 'Brand or Legend' section. This fact was not disclosed to us during the sale. Looking over sales agreement after the fact, I am fairly certain I did not over look anything. If this was disclosed before hand, I would have thought long and hard about the deal and probably would have asked for a lot less.

I know we purchased it AS-IS but what gives?? I am fairly certain this practice is considered 'Dealer Fraud'. Is there any thing I should do about this? Also, do I need to call State Farm and let them know? Most likely I will since it seems like the right thing to do.

If anyone has any thoughts, positive or negative please let me know. I guess if anything, I learned that Used Travel Trailer Sellers and Dealers can be shady...

Thanks,
~Steve

[Nv_Guy]

All of you forget that insurance companies also insure for theft, so it is entirely possible that an insurance company can get a vehicle as a theft recovery with no damage. Just because an insurance company has possession doesn't mean it was "totaled".

[philh]

Does the title even match the VIN of the trailer?

[Gdetrailer]

newman fulltimer wrote:

GordonThree wrote:
One thing you can always count on is this forums' ability to beat a topic to death.

Its never dead with all the experts here :S

Patiently waiting for folks to start insisting the OP needs to file a lawsuit next..

[newman_fulltime]

GordonThree wrote:
One thing you can always count on is this forums' ability to beat a topic to death.

Its never dead with all the experts here :S

[rexlion]

GordonThree wrote:
One thing you can always count on is this forums' ability to beat a topic to death.

Hey, I thought I saw that horse move! It's not dead yet!! 🙂

[GordonThree]

One thing you can always count on is this forums' ability to beat a topic to death.

[rexlion]

You trusted the salesmen at a dealership? Wow.

You do know how to tell when they lie, don't you? The telltale sign of a lie is, their lips move.

Their 'out' is that they kinda-sorta disclosed by telling you they bought it from an insurance company, and they did it that way in the hope that you would be naive enough to not realize the implication. So, you can (#1) get mad, check the state statutes, kick up a dust storm and maybe get your money back after months of heartburn and sleepless nights. Or, since you like the trailer, you can (#2) chalk it up to education and forget about it... and on resale you might take a hit, but that's about the worst of it. Based on what you've written, I think you'll do option #2, and I think that is indeed the best way to go. You can always kick some sand in the dealer's face by posting their name here... 😉

[Gdetrailer]

gunninks wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:
YOU can expect a big hit when it is time to sell or trade.

Ask for photos of the damage before repair, I bet they exist.

I know of a trailer recently purchased that had very minor damage, but a salvage title, they got the photos for their own satisfaction as well as for resale some day.

The resale value is what I am afraid of. I'll see if I can get photos. Thanks.

Its A "RV", there is ZERO "resale" value in any RV, period.

It is a "depreciating asset" AND IT WILL ALWAYS be worth LESS than what you paid for it.

It will never go up in value, only down.

Dealer while might be a bit less than stellar by not actually stating it would have a "salvage" title they DID specifically tell you that they BOUGHT IT FROM A INSURANCE COMPANY.

It is up to YOU to know and understand that the ONLY TIME insurance companies sell things like RVs, autos, boats is to recover some of their lost money in paying off the owner for a totaled item.

The the result is the title when sold by an insurance company WILL be "branded" with SALVAGE.

The dealer bought it cheap, fixed whatever was wrong then resold to you.

You do need to be realistic, it is an OLD RV, not new, has very little value in it to resale.

Move on, chalk it up as an learning experience and go camping..

[Halmfamily]

In Alabama the dealer or seller must disclose to buyer that there is a salvaged title. We purchased a car with a salvaged title and there is a special, permanent, decal that does on the drivers side door sill. I'd take the rv back and demand my money back or a nice price reduction. If not call your DMV.

[D_E_Bishop]

Two things you can do at this time, first is ask if your state has a disclosure law, and then if it does, ask what you can do if you want to the RV.

The second thing and you will need this information to file a claim, is to hire a reputable RV inspector and find out if there is any safety flaw caused by the flooding or the repairs.

If you are not likely to suffer some loss, you don't have much of a leg to stand on.

Insurance companies do sell running and safe to drive vehicles. Co Part is one of many companies that sell damaged and other vehicles they get from insurance settlements..

[bstar1952]

Hi Gunninks - unlike other who think it your fault for some reason, I agree with you that the dealer should have disclosed the salvage title. Like you, I don't read minds and having a dealership say they purchased the unit from an insurance company would not have raised any red flags and I've owned 8 TTs. I did purchase a used car from a large dealership in San Antonio and when I payed it off a couple years later received a salvage title. When I questioned the dealership, they jumped thru hoops to make it right by refunding a large portion of the original purchase price and fixing a few things on the vehicle. They would have given me a full refund if I had wanted. I did take it in the shorts when I traded a few years later. Bottom line, it was a very big deal and someone at the dealership got fired over it. Anyway, I would contact the dealer and see what they have to say. Might get a little cash for your effort. Cheers.....

[sch911]

gunninks wrote:
Also, just because they bought it from an insurance to fix it up and sell it, to me being new to purchasing travel trailers, does not scream salvage.

Insurance companies do not buy and sell TT's unless they are totalled!

[bgum]

If the dealer told you that he bought it from a insurance company that means that the insurance company had "totaled" it. It became incumbent upon you to ask what caused it to be totaled. I would not fear as it is in better shape than had it not been totaled and therefore not repaired.

[JRscooby]

I never worry about "resale value" of things, unless I dealing. If I buy it I expect to get my monies worth out of using it. But what would bother me is the repair. When it was damaged the insurance company determined the cost to repair it right would be more than the value of the unit. I have bought totaled equipment, returned it to serviceable condition, and used it. But while working on it I took shortcuts to reduce cost. But I know the short cut could bite me in the donkey at a later date. If the only thing the stealer was to get out of the TT was what you paid, do you know what shortcuts where taken? Remember the bite is your donkey.
Now it is possible that the dealer, while doing the repair, used it for training monkeys, and expect a value from the better techs.

[Huntindog]

gunninks wrote:
So we purchased a travel trailer (2005 Wildwood LE 25EX) from a dealer that does repairs and has been around many many years. They told me they bought it from an insurance company. It wasn't an overly great deal in my opinion (6k) but is solid all the way around and is exactly what we were looking for to fit our family and current towing vehicle. The TT is in very good shape but it's obvious that it has been repaired in the front where the fold down bunk is. It seems very solid, I checked all the inside corners and the floorboard under the bunks. everything works as it should and there are no leaks. We almost got burned on another deal, the last minute we found extensive damage on the floorboards under the rear bunks and walked away immediately. In other words, we are very happy with it. I am sure we will use it for years before we decide to upgrade.

The problem and my worry is that when the title came in the mail, it was orange and states 'flood' under the 'Brand or Legend' section. This fact was not disclosed to us during the sale. Looking over sales agreement after the fact, I am fairly certain I did not over look anything. If this was disclosed before hand, I would have thought long and hard about the deal and probably would have asked for a lot less.

I know we purchased it AS-IS but what gives?? I am fairly certain this practice is considered 'Dealer Fraud'. Is there any thing I should do about this? Also, do I need to call State Farm and let them know? Most likely I will since it seems like the right thing to do.

If anyone has any thoughts, positive or negative please let me know. I guess if anything, I learned that Used Travel Trailer Sellers and Dealers can be shady...

Thanks,
~Steve

It is a 2005. That is pretty old. The older it gets, the less important the salvage title will be as far as resale.

As anyone that has boughtan older TT can tell you, the three Cs matter the most. CONDITION, CONDITION, CONDITION.
When I was looking for my first TT, the budget required a well used unit. It was shocking to see the junk that people were trying to sell.
I must have walked away from over 50 units. Was getting really discouraged .... And then I found the ONE. It was obvious immediadtly that It was the one. It wasn't a great floorplan, but the CONDITION was fantastic. I would not have cared if the title came out of a Crackerjack box.